Raised in Dungeon

The name "Felicia Ayde Boldenville" echoed through the Great Hall of Oxwade Academy, creating a stir among the students. Whispers of confusion and doubt permeated the air as students exchanged uncertain glances.

"Felicia? Who is that?"

"You don't know either?"

"Was she ever ranked in Secunda's class?"

"Even if she did, it must have only happened once or twice, because if she got ranked consecutively, people would remember her name."

"But... it feels like I've heard her name before."

Confusion intensified as the whispers grew louder. The disciplinary commissioners, including Loukia, attempted to restore order, but the noise affected not only the students but also the teachers and the commissioners themselves. They were confused by the appearance of the name.

In the five years she had spent at Oxwade Academy, and during her three years as a member of the disciplinary commission, Loukia had never witnessed a situation where someone without merit would ascend the stage to represent the other students. Felicia's unexpected appearance had caught everyone off guard.

Felicia, however, made her way onto the stage with a measured grace, attempting to conceal any signs of confusion, nervousness, or fear that might betray her true emotions. Despite her fake smile, a storm of thoughts raged within her.

'I've never heard of this! What should I do? What should I say?' Felicia's mind raced as she maintained her composed smile. It wasn't that she couldn't improvise or speak confidently; rather, it was the fear of unintentionally saying something inappropriate or offensive due to her lack of knowledge about the academy's diverse cultures.

Once Felicia reached the pulpit, she took a moment to analyze the speech template by recalling how Loukia had performed earlier. Adopting a poised demeanor, she began her address:

"Ladies and gentlemen, Headmaster Mr. Eliphas, esteemed faculty, and fellow students." With a graceful lift of her skirt, she greeted them. "I am Felicia Ayde Boldenville. I stand before you today as a proud representative praeterea student of our beloved Oxwade Academy."

As Felicia lowered her skirt and raised her head to address the rest of the students, some of them realized who Felicia was.

"Boldenville... isn't that the name of the noble who owns the number one fashion store in the kingdom?"

"I remember that name. If I'm not mistaken, the daughter of the Boldenville family is The Maiden of Eden Garden... Felicia."

"The Maiden of Eden Garden?"

The revelation of Felicia's identity as The Maiden of Eden Garden sparked a murmur of curiosity among the students. While only the humans were familiar with Felicia's nickname, it was still a significant portion, as humans constituted 50% of the students. However, even among the other races that might not have been aware of Felicia's achievements, the Boldenville family name carried weight. This was evident from the family crest discreetly embroidered inside of their clothes.

"Incredible…" Kethryllia murmured, her eyes fixed on Felicia's figure as she gracefully presented her speech.

Behind Kethryllia, a man approached and commented, "Oh, the world seems to be coming to an end."

The smile on Kethryllia's face disappeared as she turned to look behind her, clearly recognizing the voice.

"Hussain..." she muttered with a displeased expression.

"*Yaaawn... Good morning, chief executive. It's good to see you happy this morning," Hussain said as he lazily sat beside Kethryllia, laying his sleepy-looking head down.

"You'd better keep sleeping today," Kethryllia replied sarcastically.

"I actually wanted to. But being the chair of the disciplinary commission is hard enough. You have to be awake to keep up with events like this," Hussain explained.

"Even though you say so, you usually don't come either. Why are you suddenly forcing yourself to come today?" Kethryllia inquired.

Hussain shifted his gaze towards Loukia, who was seated in the host's chair. Kethryllia followed suit, also looking at Loukia.

Loukia's eight eyes glared angrily at Hussain.

"I still want to live," Hussain quipped.

'He speaks as if he could just die,' Ketrhyllia thought.

"Besides..." Hussain continued, returning his attention to Kethryllia, "I feel like if I come, I can see that creepy smile of yours crumble."

Hussain shifted his attention to Felicia, who was in the midst of delivering her speech. Observing her, he thought, 'That kid... this year's representative praeterea, huh? She came forward without holding the text; did she memorize it? But the announcement was sudden, and her speech didn't match the usual template.

Hmm? Wait...'

Suddenly, realization dawned on Hussain. He remembered meeting Felicia at the district market with Allen and Sharik. "Isn't that the girl who entered through the inner passage?" he asked.

"I heard that she made a pretty good impression among the secunda teachers during the exam; maybe that's why she became the representative," Kethryllia replied.

'Liar,' Hussain thought.

"Poor girl..." said Hussain. 'So, this elf is what made that kid become a representative. That's a pity, the purpose of this elf might be to create an enemy for that kid.'

The whispers among the students continued as Felicia delivered her speech at the podium: "Within these walls, we wear the cloak of learning, the cloak of friendship, and the hat of wisdom. Together, let us seek knowledge."

Despite Felicia's eloquence, the gossip about her existence persisted:

"Maiden of Eden Garden. Why nobody know about her so far? Shouldn't someone of her status be well-known in the academy?"

"I heard she was sick and had been asleep for years. But if she's our age, shouldn't she still be in secunda right now?"

"If no one knows about it, then maybe she never entered secunda?"

"So, what, did she use some insider connection to bypass secunda?"

"Come on! You're being absurd! How could the academy resort to such unfair practices?"

"Well, think about it! Her family owns the clothing company that designs our uniforms – House of Felicia, remember?"

"Ukh!"

"Maybe the academy got these clothes for free, and in return, they accommodated her entry. It's the only way she could have joined the academy and become a representative student without any notable achievements."

Sharik, catching wind of the speculative chatter, turned to Allen with a puzzled expression. "Hey, Allen, did you secure a spot in this school with money?"

Allen nodded but felt the need to clarify, "We were tested first. The money was for the chance to take the test, not a guaranteed acceptance."

"Hmph! So, it's true then. How disappointing!" Geirhild expressed her disillusionment.

"But they were also tested by the school! So it must be fine, right?" Sharik interjected.

"You think I'll just believe it? People get into this school with money. The test could have been a gimmick," Geirhild argued, crossing her arms defiantly.

'Yeah, she's not entirely wrong. In the end, we did get in because we paid the school a significant sum,' Allen admitted to himself.

"Shut your mouth, dwarf!" a voice interrupted them loudly, drawing attention from those nearby. It was Francis.

"Huh?!" retorted Geirhild.

"What's wrong with going through an insider? She's the one who earned the title of Maiden of Eden Garden; that alone should be enough for you to recognize her greatness," Francis defended.

"Maiden, whatever that is, that title is only given by the human side, right? If it wasn't earned in the academy, then it's not that great," Geirhild retorted.

"What are you saying?! You're doubting the judgment of our kingdom-" Francis began before being abruptly cut off.

"Hey, you two, that's enough. That spider has been watching you two for a while," Allen interjected, sensing the looming consequences of their heated discussion.

They both immediately fell silent, realizing they had garnered unwanted attention. 'I don't want to be blamed for these two anymore,' Allen thought

After more than five minutes had passed, Felicia gracefully concluded her speech with a simple, "That's all from me. Thank you." As she gracefully returned to her seat, a wave of apprehension and self-doubt swept over her. Her mind raced, wondering if she had inadvertently made any missteps during her address.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she reminded herself, "I'm here to forge connections. It'll be hard if a lot of people antagonize me," Felicia thought.

With this, the new student opening ceremony ended, and the new school year of the praeterea class began.